Lost and Found
by Contine
Summary: A girl is kidnapped from her home in the dead of night. Now she's being forced to marry the man! Can her new found friend save her from a life of torture?
1. Prologue

As she slowly came down the stairs to the courtyard in her wedding gown, Alma couldn't help but think '_shouldn't I be happy on my wedding day?' _Even though she had practiced keeping a smile on all day long she still felt a burning anger towards the man waiting at the end of the aisle. He only smiled. To most it would look like a smile of love or joy for his bride. No. He didn't have a happy bone in his body. He had kidnapped her and smuggled her out of her home. He didn't even flinch when he killed her only child. No. His smile wasn't real. His smile was dripping with greed and sin.

She felt the tears in her eyes start to form. That had been the only thing she'd been doing since he brought her to Venice. She didn't even know what the city looked like until today because he had her brought in a ship and had her blindfolded once she got there so that she couldn't find her way back. She couldn't believe she had been tricked into marrying this monster.

The only thing that kept her from crying was the fact that her friend had promised to visit after the wedding. She knew he would because he had stared straight into her eyes and spoken the words himself.

"I'll come back the night of the wedding. Don't worry I won't let anything happen to you." He hugged her tightly before he went to the window and climbed out.

Looking up to see that he still had a smile on his face, Alma couldn't help but smirk herself. Poor Samil. It was amazing how he planned every single detail in getting her here to be married. Yet he never noticed another man coming into their home.

_Well it wasn't like he was home whenever he came over._

The piano started playing signaling her time to walk. She could barely move for fear of what would happen when she walked down the aisle with a new husband. As she walked his smile only became bigger and bigger. The walk seemed to go on forever, she hoped she would never reach the end. With tears stinging her eyes she stepped up onto the altar. They stood across from each other, he with a look of triumph and her with a look of surrender.

"Dearly Beloved . . . "

()()()()()()()

As he sat on the rooftop overlooking the wedding, he couldn't believe she was actually going through with it. They had talked about it many times and how _many_ ways she could escape. But they both knew there was no way she could flee. He relived the past year as he got to know her more and more. At first he thought she was strange, but she grew on him eventually. They ended up becoming really close and spent most of their days sitting on rooftops and talking about nothing. He would always sneak her out so that she could see the city. He thought of them as best friends. After that night however . . .

"Do you take Alma to be your wife?" "I do." Samil said.

He looked up. They were about to exchange vows. He couldn't let her do this. Not after all that they had gone through together.

"Do you take Samil as your husband?" She hesitated, wondering what would happen if she said no or if she would have time to run away without being caught. "I . . ."

"NO!"

Everyone turned to see a man jumping off a building and sprinting towards the bride and groom. People started screaming as he ran through the crowds towards the altar. Samil's eyes shifted to Alma then stood in front of her. "Get back! I'm warning you, you're ruining the best day of my life!" The man said nothing as he continued running. Alma watched, stunned, as she saw his hidden blade come from under his wrist.

"Ezio! No!"

**Well then! That's the beginning. It's really really short. Probably the shortest one I'll write for this story. Tell me what you think so far!**


	2. The Beginning of The End

It was a beautiful day in Romagna which was very rare. The weather was never nice to the people. Rainstorms were common. No one was scared of thunder because of its frequent visits. Outsiders referred to it as the wetlands. However the people seemed to be happy just the same. The small houses didn't damper any of their spirits. Even if someone had a hole in their roof, another would offer room in their own home. Romagna wasn't full of rich people at all. Everyone lived simple lives. The only way they made money was by their hotel. The town was right next to a harbor which went to and from Venice all the time. Because of this, sailors would stay at the hotel to relax.

One of the workers at this hotel was Alma. She worked in the restaurant with the other teenage girls in the town. The sailors were big tippers, mostly because they hadn't seen women in such a long time. And since Alma and her friends were all around eighteen and nineteen the hotel manager, who was from Firenze, taught them how to avoid sticky situations. He had a sister who worked in a brothel and told him about all her 'adventures'.

Alma loved her life. She would go to work in the morning, come home at night, and spend the evening with her younger siblings. Sometimes the girls would all get a week off because business was slow so they would all run around town saying hi to travelers and giggling at boys. All of the boys thought Alma was beautiful because of her long brown hair that went down to the middle of her back. She also had dark blue eyes which were unusual, making her stick out even more. She had delicate skin but spent all her time off getting dirty and bruised with her friends. Her mother never approved saying 'girls that age shouldn't be acting like children' but Alma did it anyway. She thought her life was perfect.

Then the busy season would come and the hotel would never be slow. The girls were constantly waiting on tables of sailors who all had too much to drink and would say crude things. Her manager would usually have to come over to make them stop. "I don't know why it's always you." He had said. "But I'm just glad you haven't gotten into any trouble." She smiled. "Let's hope it stays that way."

For the next few weeks sailors came and went and the girls' pockets got heavier. It was near the end of the season when a sailor wandered in. It was almost closing time and the girls looked up when they heard the door open. He was very handsome with high cheek bones and piercing green eyes. His hair was dark brown with light red in it from the sun. it was very shaggy and made him look tough. Alma and all her friends looked at each other. None of them knew what to say. He kept looking around waiting for someone to help him. Alma decided that if her friends wouldn't help him than she would. He looked like he had a lot of money.

"I can show you to a table, sir." She said politely. He turned to look at her. His traveled up and down her body as though he was scanning her which made her draw back a bit. Smiling in a strange way, he replied "That would be very nice, thank you." She brought him to a table by the window. There was already a menu sitting in his seat. He picked it up and quickly scanned it before ordering. "I'll take the most expensive thing you have." She was taken aback for a moment before answering. "Of course, I'll bring that out right away."

When she walked into the kitchen, her friends swarmed around her. "Isn't he cute?" "You are so lucky!" "He's the best looking sailor I've ever seen." She blushed furiously before giving the order to the cook. It took him only a few moments because he only had to cook one thing. As soon as it was ready she brought it out to him. He looked delighted. When she went to go back to the kitchen he grabbed her hand. "Won't you sit with me while I eat?" Alma looked at him. "Don't you want to eat by yourself?"

He laughed. "I'd much rather have the company of a lady while I enjoy my first meal back on land." She smiled and sat down. He smiled back at her. It was genuine this time. As he ate Alma could only think of how strange it was to eat with her customer. She decided to start a conversation. "So can you tell me what being a sailor is like? I've heard it's very dangerous." He smirked. "You would be surprised what we do when were out there." He looked out the window towards the docked ships. "You meet a lot of strange people. But you also see distant lands you couldn't even imagine." Alma was intrigued now. She leaned forward a bit as he continued.

"I've seen places where there aren't buildings at all. Just people who live in the trees. Then there are cities that look so run down I feel bad to walk there. People are always trying to steal from you, girls are always trying to seduce you." She laughed at this. "Have you lived here your whole life?" "Yea. I like it though. I don't need a lot and I meet interesting people at work. Like you." He laughed at this. They continued talking for awhile before her friends came over and informed them it was an hour past closing. "I am so sorry!" She told them. She turned to the sailor. "Don't worry I'll pay for your meal. You can leave." He laughed and hugged her, taking her by surprise. "Thank you. I will be here for about a month. I will be sure to see you again." "Alright." She said hugging him back.

After he left she cleaned quickly and put more than enough money on the table for the manager to pick up. Her friends had left awhile ago so she locked up. On her way back she noticed the sky was very clear. She could see all the stars, it was so unusual. _It's a sign. _She laughed to herself. "What's so funny?" she spun around to see the sailor behind her. "How long have you been behind me?" "I was taking a walk and I noticed you were also walking." He caught up to her as they continued to her house. "I never got your name by the way."

"Oh. It's Alma." "That's a pretty name." "It means nourishing." "It fits. Especially with your job right?" They both laughed. "I suppose." She said " But I never got your name either." "Samil." "Does that name have a meaning?" "Yes. But it's not a good one. My mother didn't want a baby so she named me Samil. It means evil." "That's terrible! I'm so sorry." He stopped walking and faced her."There's nothing to be sorry about." "I guess not." Her house was getting closer. He grabbed her hand. "I really like you Alma."

She stepped back and he reluctantly dropped her hand. "Isn't that a little fast?" "I'm a sailor. Everything we do is fast. We don't have long lives."There was a glint of humor in his eyes. "How old are you?" "Just turned nineteen." "Me too." He grabbed her hand again. "Samil." She pulled her hand from him. "You're going to be here for a month. We can get to know each other that whole time. It's plenty of time to get to know someone." He sighed. "I guess you're right." They had stopped in front of Alma's house. "What's that?" "Can I kiss you just once?" Trying her hardest not to smile she replied. "I'm not from a brothel." Grabbing her close to him, he whispered in her ear. "If you were from a brothel I'm sure I would already have you." She gasped not being used to sailor talk. He took it as his opportunity. She didn't realize what was happening until he let go of her.

"I do not know what to say." She was in slight shock. She had never been kissed like that before. "He took a few steps back. "We still have the rest of the month to get to know each other like you said." A huge grin was spread across his face. "Well whatever just happened isn't going to happen anytime soon!" Her face almost hurt from her trying not to smile. "Goodnight Alma." He said as he turned and walked away. She stepped into her house and closed the door. She ran to her room so that no one would see her smile.

That night she couldn't get to sleep at all. All she could think about was the coming month and getting to spend more time with Samil. Yes. Alma's life was good.

**So for me this is a good start. I know Ezio isn't in there yet but don't worry! He will make an appearance probably after the next chapter.**


	3. The Next Month

Over the next month, Alma and Samil got to know each other a lot more. He came to visit her every day at work and when she wasn't working, they would take walks around the small town laughing and joking. They were becoming great friends and everyone seemed to notice. "I think Samil really likes you." Her friend said one day. "Why don't you two get married?" Alma just laughed. The truth was she had also developed some feelings for Samil as well. But she would never tell him.

One night after work when she was walking home with him she told him what her friend had said. "Your friends are all the same Alma. They say the same thing to me when you're not around." They both smiled as they held hands. It was just a friendly way though. The end of the month would come soon and he would have to leave. Alma was certain she would never see him again. It made her heart ache but that was the life of a sailor.

When she got home for dinner she gave Samil a quick hug and went inside. As she sat down at the dinner table her father looked up at her.

"Who's this boy that everyone tells me you're running around with Alma?"

"Alix!" Her mother tapped her husband on the hand. "Alma, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

Alma inwardly thanked her mother.

"Olivia I think I should know who my daughter is running around with all day long."

"Then let Alma tell you." Her tone ended the argument. The look on her father's face told her that she had better tell the truth.

"Well . . . his name is Samil. I met him at the hotel." Looking wearily at her father she was afraid what he would say when she told him Samil was a sailor. Thinking it best to save for last she continued.

"He's my age; he just turned nineteen like me. He's travelled all over the world . . ."

It was as if a bomb had gone off. "A sailor!" Her father stood up with a look of rage on his face. "My daughter has been in the company of a sailor for the last month?" Alma shrank back.

"She never said he was a sailor Alix!" Olivia had also stood. Usually when they both yelled about something it was her father because he was mad and her mother because she was trying to calm him. His face was getting redder by the second. They both looked at Alma who obviously had to tell him.

"He is a sailor." She whispered to her hands. "But he isn't like the other sailors at the hotel."

"If you can convince me that fact then I won't be angry. We are having him for dinner tomorrow. I will decide what kind of boy he is then." Grabbing his glass of wine from the table, he stormed out of the dining room. Alma looked at her mother and started sobbing. The last time he had yelled at her like that, she was a little girl. She felt a hand around her shoulders.

"It's ok honey. He sounds like a nice boy."

"But what if father doesn't like him?" She said through her sobs.

"He will. Just tell Samil what your father is like and I'm sure he'll be fine."

()()()()()()()()()

The next day Alma looked frantically for Samil. When he finally came in she grabbed him by the hand and led him to the side of the building so no one would see. "Are you ok?" Thinking it best to just tell him, Alma blurted it out. "My father asked me about you yesterday. He found out you're a sailor so he wants you to have dinner with us tonight." A smirk crossed Samil's face. He gave her a hug. "If it will make you stop worrying then I'll do it."

"Thank you so much."

Alma took the rest of the day off to help Samil get ready for dinner. Since he didn't normally eat with people's parents, he didn't have nice clothes. But Alma asked some of her friends and finally found an outfit that fit him. He had dark green tights on with a giant white shirt to go over it. To make it look nice, she had him put a black vest on with lining that looked like gold. It looked decent but not perfect.

"It will have to do." Alma said with a sigh. Samil just smirked.

"I'll meet you at dinner then."

()()()()()()()()()

The dining room was set up perfectly when Alma walked in. Olivia had decided to use their good dishes and had lit two candles on either side of the table. Nerves were starting to set in. "Alma don't worry everything will be perfect. The food will be wonderful and your father will love him." Her mother patted her shoulder for comfort. There was a knock on the door. Alma froze. She heard her mother laugh as she walked to the door. "Hello Samil." She heard her say. "Come in dinner is almost ready."

"Thank you. I've brought a gift for your family." "Oh! I'll put it in the kitchen right away." Alma turned to see her mother holding a large bowl. "What's in it?" She whispered. "Pudding." Her mother whispered back.

_Where did Samil get pudding?_

Taking a deep breath, Alma decided she couldn't delay any longer. Walking into the dining room she noticed her father at the head of the table talking to Samil who was seated to his left. Her sister was on the other side of the table while her mother always sat at the other end. This meant she had to sit next to Samil. It was going to be a fun dinner.

After everyone started eating Alma's father finally spoke.

"So I hear you're a traveler. What kind of travelling do you do?" He emphasized the word traveler.

"Actually sir, I'm a sailor. But I've probably seen as many places as a traveler. I've been to Venice which is beautiful. I've visited villages in mountains and I even went to a jungle at one point." He smiled as he took a bite of his food.

"Venice you say? Tell me more about where you've traveled." Her father seemed rather interested and not mad in the slightest.

()()()()()()()

"So then the guy tried to tell me that my boat was sinking and I needed to buy another one. And all he did was thrown some water in my boat in the first place to make it look like it was sinking!" Samil and her father seemed to not even notice the other three sitting at the table. They were laughing loudly and eating their pudding with smiles on their faces. Alma knew Samil would be accepted. When the end of the night came, Samil stood up.

"Thank you so much for this meal. I hope my pudding was good. It was also very nice to meet you, sir."

"Don't call me sir. You can call me Alix." He slapped Samil on the back. "Alma, walk your friend to the door." Alma, who hadn't said a word all night, got up to walk Samil to the door. They went outside for a few moments. "So do you think he likes me?" Samil asked. "What do you think Samil? I couldn't get one word in the whole night." They smiled at each other. "So am I in?" Alma hadn't realized how close they were standing to each other.

"I guess." Alma replied sarcastically. They stared at each other for a few moments. He lowered his head to hers. "Wait. Samil you can't."

"Why?" He almost sounded angry.

"Because you're leaving soon. I'll never see you again and if I let myself get attached it will only make it worse when you leave."

"If you think about it, you're already attached." Her heart started pounding. It was true but she would never say it. That would only confirm it. Maybe just one kiss would make her forget it. Maybe it was one of those things where you have to let it out and then you're done. He lowered his head to hers again.

"Alma! Come inside! You have to help your mother clean up!" Samil groaned. "Guess your father thinks the same as you." "How's that?" Alma replied confused. "Neither one of you will let me kiss you." Alma laughed. "Goodnight Samil." She went inside to the dining room. "I think that went rather well." Her mother said smiling. "Me too." Alma smiled back.

()()()()()()()()()()

It was the day Samil was leaving to go back to Venice. Alma couldn't control the tears. She had only just gotten out of bed and she was already crying. Trying her hardest to look good, she left the house without saying goodbye. Running to the dock, she looked frantically for Samil. It seemed that everyone except him was working on getting on the boat. She felt two arms wrap around her. "Looking for someone?" Turning around to see him, she burst into tears as she hugged him close. He patted her hair. "It's ok. I'm coming back."

"No you're not. I've seen so many sailors say that. They've been gone for years."

He held her at arm's length. "Come with me then." "I can't." She cried. "I have a family and work here. I know nothing about the world."

Her tears were flowing even more now. He felt so bad leaving her. They had gotten so close. He had to convince her to come with him. Otherwise he would find another way.

Samil couldn't hold it any longer. He held her close and kissed her. To the people around them it lasted for seconds, but to them it lasted for eternity. When they broke apart he repeated himself more forcefully. "Alma, come with me."

"I told you I can't."

He shook her. "Just leave this place. You'll be so happy. You want to see the world right?"

"Well yes but . . ."

"Then come with me." She pushed him away. "Why are you acting so strange?" He looked angry, like he wanted to hit something. He walked towards her but she stepped away. "Alma, listen to me. I really like you."

"You told me that the first day we met."

"But I like you more than I did that day."

"Samil you're being very strange. Just go please."

She knew this was a bad idea. She shouldn't of come. Something was going to happen. Of course she didn't listen to herself. Quickly turning around, she started walking home. A sudden pull on her upper arm caused her to stop. "You're not going home Alma." Her eyes grew wide. "Samil let go of me!" People started to stare. She saw the hotel manager come over. "Ok that's enough son, let her go." Alma screamed as Samil punched him. Then all hell broke loose.

A huge group of men who lived in town saw Samil punch the manager. They all sprinted towards him and pinned him down. At the same time a group of sailors saw what the townsmen were doing and ran over to help Samil. It was a huge brawl. Alma was knocked to the ground. She couldn't see anything except for the men fighting around her. Then two arms were around her pulling her up.

"I knew that boy was trouble!" Her father shouted. He half dragged half carried her all the way home. Once they were in the house Alma sat on her bed in her room. Her father paced back and forth. "You are to not leave this house ever again unless it's for work." Her mouth dropped. "You can't do that!" "I can and I just did! You could have been taken away on that ship! You almost got trampled in that fight! If I wasn't out and saw the whole thing happen you could be dead right now! This is the last time I let a sailor into my home." He stormed out of her room and slammed the door.

Alma had never cried as much as she did that night. She wouldn't let her mother or her sister into her room. How could she have been tricked? Samil was so nice to her. But he was a sailor and sailors are good liars. He just wanted to take her for his own this whole time. She had heard stories of what happened to women on ships like his. They were promised to be treated like royalty and be given anything they wanted. It was usually women who didn't know anything about sailing. They were promised that they would see distant lands and could go exploring. But once they got on the ship they were thrown into a cell. And anytime a man needed a woman all he had to do was go down to a cell. They were forced to be slaves or things. They weren't seen as humans, just tools. Alma shuddered just thinking about it.

She must have been lying in her bed for a long time because when she looked out her window the moon was high in the sky. She turned over to try to go to sleep. A knock on her window caused her to sit up. Silence. It came again. What if it was Samil? But he left this morning. It could be one of her friends. They must of heard about what happened. They might want to see if she's ok. She crawled over to the window and looked out. It was nothing but darkness.

_I must be going crazy from being in the room so long._

She lied back down to try to get some rest. Then it all happened so fast she didn't have time to react. Something huge crashed through her window, causing the glass to go everywhere. She looked up just in time to see a huge figure walking towards her. It looked like a man but it was hard to tell. Before she could scream he had his hand on her mouth. She bit down as hard as she could but he was wearing thick gloves. He must not have felt anything. Suddenly she saw another figure come through her window as quickly as the first. How could her parents not hear this going on?

The other figure started wrapping rope around her ankles. She squirmed and kicked as best she could but they hit her across the face. She realized she wasn't going to be able to escape so she just sat still. They tied her hands together in front of her and tied rope around her head so that it was in her mouth. The first figure picked her up and carried her out the window. She tried her best to see where they were going. Her eyes started adjusting and she saw the moon reflecting on the water. They were taking her on a boat. Her stomach dropped. The boat was so small she wasn't sure if all three of them could fit.

As she was placed in the boat tears started falling from her eyes. She looked at her small town before a blindfold was placed over her eyes. All she could hear was the soft sound of oars in the water as she was taken from her home.

**So please please please tell me what you think. This is the first time in a long time I updated so soon. More to come!**


	4. Stuck In A Moment

Venice is very beautiful right before the sun comes up. The people are all inside, thieves included. For some reason it just seemed that the time of day had that effect on people. The only people seen were just like him. Only up to watch the sun start another day. Even though his past few days in Venice hadn't been the best experience of his life, he could always count on the morning to make him feel at peace. The whole city was at peace.

However this morning was different. He was gazing towards the horizon when he happened to look down at the docks.

_Three figures in a small boat. Two of them definitely men. The one in the middle is much smaller._

The two men moved to pick up the mysterious figure which started thrashing about wildly. One of them slapped it hard enough to make it stop moving. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he sneaked closer to see what could be causing the men to act this way towards it. He leapt from the rooftops to a spot where he could slide down a wall. The figure was being carried right by his hiding spot.

He made sure his hood was up as they continued to walk towards him. As they walked right by him he heard something whimpering. This was very strange. He continued to follow them until they reached the small bridge to take it to the wealthier side of Venice. The sun hit her just right and what Ezio saw made him freeze.

It was a girl. Or a woman. He couldn't tell which because of the restraints on her. He was shocked to see her legs and hands tied. Plus they had put that bandage around her head so she couldn't make a sound. On top of that, she was blindfolded. From what he could see, it looked like she had been hit more than once. Her cheeks were black and blue.

Ezio clenched his fist. The anger he suddenly felt for these two men was shocking. He had never met them or seen them until now yet from what he was witnessing all he could think of was what they were going to do to her. For some reason, he felt that he needed to follow them. The sun had finished rising and he already lost the peace he tried so hard to earn that morning.

()()()()()()()()()

Alma was scared to death. She didn't know where she was or what was going on. She had been stripped of all ability to run, scream, and see. All she could do was listen. Throughout the night she had come to the conclusion she was being taken to Venice. The two men wouldn't stop talking about getting there fast enough and how 'the boss' would be very displeased when they found out they had hit her.

_I hope they get in trouble. They only hit me but still, you would have thought they knew to never hit a lady._

After what seemed like eternity, she felt the boat finally come to a dock.

_We must be in Venice. _

Her heart started pounding. She had been so focused on what the men were saying that she hadn't really thought about what was going to happen to her once they got to Venice.

_I have to get out of here._

She felt the men start to pick her up. She moved as much as she could, trying her hardest to somehow kick or punch one of the men. In return she only received a slap across her face. It was no use. She would have to let them take her to wherever it was she was going. The way the men carried her made her think they were walking down a street. Her vision in her blindfold suddenly became bright. The sun felt wonderful on her as she felt it fall on her face. It had never been more welcomed. She could have sworn right after she got in the sun she had heard a gasp.

_I probably look ridiculous like this. I won't be surprised if I hear more of those._

The walk continued on for some time. The rhythm of the man's walk almost caused her to fall asleep. But this journey wasn't going to let her have any comfort. A loud sound caused her to wake up. She heard the man's steps echoing as she became cold once more.

_I must be inside._

()()()()()()()()()()()

Ezio had been following the men for quite a long time. The sun seemed to slow him down because of its brightness. He smirked as he pulled his hood over his head a bit more than normal. The fact that he was even still following them was very interesting. It might be because he was raised to always be polite to women. Or he had a hitch about where the men might be going. No matter, he always trusted his gut and at this moment it was telling him to follow the men.

They suddenly came to a large villa. The doors opened with a huge bang. The woman seemed to come out of a sleep. As they stepped into the house, he saw the man carrying her wink to the other one. His brain told him to break in and kill all the men in that villa. But his gut told him otherwise.

_Wait and see what happens. Maybe they won't harm her and you were only being paranoid._

_I don't think so. _His brain said back. _Men like that who carry women into houses like that are not to be trusted._

He climbed onto the side of the building trying to get a glimpse inside or even hear a conversation.

()()()()()()()()()()

Alma felt herself being lowered onto the floor. The bandages that had been keeping her from moving were removed. All except for the blindfold and one tied around her mouth. She couldn't stand because they had been tied so tight. Suddenly a loud voice echoed off the walls.

"I told you to bring her here! Not bind her and strike her like a slave!"

_Please no. _

"Get out of here! I'm going to rethink about paying you because of the damage you've probably caused!"

Her blindfold was taken off. She had no idea what to say or if she was supposed to be angry or happy. All she knew was that she was terrified as she looked into the eyes of Samil.

"You don't look too pleased to see me." He smiled. "I agree that our last meeting didn't go the way either of us wanted it to go. But now you're here! You don't have to worry about your family or friends anymore."

Her eyes shot daggers at him. He pretended not to notice. "I'm going to take your last bandage off. I will allow you to speak, but if it becomes troublesome I'll have to put it back on." Her mouth stung as he literary peeled the cloth from her face. "Now then, tell me Alma, how happy are you?" She tried to slap him, but he caught her hand. "Alma , I'm going to have to ask you not to do that."

"I thought you were a sailor? Sailors don't have enough money to live in a place like this. Especially one your age." He laughed. "That is true. But I guess now is the time for me to tell you that I am not a sailor. I never was. My uncle has so much money I don't need to have a job. So since my 17th birthday I have been looking for the perfect wife. It was hard I must admit. But when I saw you." His hand brushed her cheek.

"Samil, stop." Alma slapped his hand away as she tried to walk away without any success. Samil caught her. "There is no way you can escape. You will only be staying in your room unless you are with me or one of my guards." Alma's eyes grew wide. "Why?" Samil only smiled. "Well, I need to prepare for the wedding. But I have other business to attend to so it will be about a year before we can get married. I don't want a runaway bride now do I?" He tapped the end of her nose.

"Guards, please escort Alma to her room." Two giant men with armor covering their whole bodies strode forward. They grabbed Alma's upper arms and dragged her to the staircase. "Samil! You cant do this!" He turned around to face her. "And why not?" Alma thought quickly and came up with a solution.

"Everybody knows you need a father's permission to marry his daughter. He'll never let you marry me!" She said with a smirk. He met her smirk with one of his own. "That's true Alma but you see, your father isn't in Venice is he? So there's not really anything stopping me. Unless someone tries to oppose me, I just need to make a few errands before we can marry. And since I'm not letting you leave your room you won't be able to find someone else now will you?" And with that he nodded to the guards who half carried, half dragged Alma to her room. As she watched Samil's retreating back, she happened to look up at the window above the door.

Maybe it was her imagination from what Samil said, or maybe it was her state of shock causing her to see things, but she was convinced she had locked eyes with a man outside the window wearing a white tunic with a hood almost covering his eyes. She could have sworn he had nodded to her as if saying 'Don't worry'. When the guards threw her into her room, she was too upset to take in how gorgeous it was. She simply flung herself onto the bed and cried. There was no way out of her situation. She couldn't think of any way to escape. She knew this was going to be the most torturous years she had ever experienced.

How very wrong she was.


	5. The Heat

**Hello again! Sorry about the wait but it has been so ridiculously hot here that all I could do was go to my cottage with my friends to swim do other cottage things. But I am back! The ending of my last chapter seemed to leave right when the drama started. So let's continue shall we?**

Samil sat in his office. His plan was working out perfect; he had Alma, he had a big house, he was _rich_, he had Alma, there was no way she could escape. Oh, and he had Alma. A smirk crossed his face.

_She didn't suspect anything, poor girl._

He lit up a cigar and leaned back in his chair. A knock on the door forced him out of his happy thoughts.

"Come in."

One of his guards walked in. Even though Samil was in charge he couldn't but be a bit intimidated by them. Their armor, weapons, size and even voices chilled him when he saw them in combat.

"What is it?"

"The girl won't come out of her room or let anyone in. Even the maids can't get in."

Samil groaned. Of course he knew Alma would be slightly upset she had been taken from her home but he never thought she would be this upset.

"Alright I'll go talk to her."

As he walked to her room, he tried to make himself look more presentable. He stood in front of the door and cleared his throat while he knocked.

"Alma?"

Silence.

He decided it would be better to talk to her face to face. It surprised him when the door opened. She was standing at the other end of the room with her back to him. "Alma?" She turned quickly to face him. Even in his thoughts, Alma wasn't as pretty as she was now. He was lucky his reflexes were fast because as he looked closer he noticed her eyes were bloodshot. Her face was twisted into a face of rage. "Alma, what's wrong?" He had just enough time to duck as a vase went past his head and smashed against the wall.

"What's wrong?" Alma yelled through her sobs. "You sent two giant men to steal me from my home, let them drag me onto a boat, hit me and carry me like a sack of bricks and you're asking me what's wrong? I'm being forced into marriage and you're asking me what's wrong? I can't leave this damn house without someone dragging me around the city and you're asking me what's wrong?" She grabbed another vase from a table next to the balcony.

Samil ran forward and grabbed her wrist before she could throw it. "Listen to me Alma. You need to stop this ridiculous tantrum. We're going out soon and I need you to look your best." Her eyes lit on fire. "You don't even care." She spat on him. If he hadn't promised himself he wouldn't hurt her then Alma might have gotten a beating she would never forget. But he knew if he hurt her she would literally be _forced _to marry him. He took a deep breath.

"I know you are upset, but right now you need to calm down and get ready. If you look bad then there will be consequences." He didn't want to be mean but it was necessary for her to know who was in charge. Letting go of her wrist he let her fall to the floor as he walked towards the door. "Your dress is in the closet." The door slammed shut behind him.

()()()()()()()()

Alma was on the floor crying harder than she ever had in her life. All she could do was think about her family back home and what they might be doing right now. Are they in shock? Are they looking frantically for her? Do they suspect Samil?

_No. I have to be strong. I won't be treated like a weak woman who can't defend herself._

She had been surprised she was able to throw that vase. It was most likely because she had been aiming for Samil. Standing up, she looked around for the closet. It had giant doors made of wood on it with gold lining. She had to hold a laugh as she stared at the dress Samil wanted her to wear. It was a light blue with pearls scattered all over the fabric. The reason why she wanted to laugh was because it was cut in a triangle so that it covered her but went all the way down to her belly button. There were small strings holding the middle together but she still didn't know if she could wear it. A maid walked in.

"Miss? Master Samil asked me to help you into your dress." Alma smiled. "That's fine." After a lot of careful movements and unbuttoning and then buttoning again, the dress was finally on. it fit her perfectly. Nothing was too tight or too loose which she was happy about. The maid had arranged her hair into a simple braid with pearls clipped into it. She finally left her room and headed towards the stairs. Samil was waiting at the bottom.

"You look stunning." He said as he kissed her hand. She pulled it away. "Where are we going?"

"Well it's such a nice day outside I decided why not walk around and show you off?"

"In this dress?"

"Yes, why not?" Nodding to a guard near the front door, they were escorted outside. He had been right; it was a beautiful day.. Samil had Almas hand tight within his own as they walked. This annoyed her but she decided to ignore it. She had never been in a city this big and it was all so overwhelming! People were talking and walking into each other while others were buying from stands. "This is the boring part of town." Samil stated. They continued walking for a while then turned onto a bigger road.

Alma couldn't believe it. The buildings were so tall! There were so many people! the sound of everyone was loud while she couldn't see down the road because of all the people. "Don't worry, I'll guide you through them." He put his arm around her as they kept walking. She wasn't used to the sun beating down on her like this. The heat was starting to get to her. she tripped over the road at one point but caught herself. "Don't look like an idiot. We're going to see my friends." She nodded. Her vision was getting blurry. "Samil I need to sit down." He sighed. "Fine I'll put you on a bench while I go see my friends."

He dragged her to the side of the road where a few people were sitting. Her legs were starting to shake but she was able to sit before she fell again. Sweat was covering her from head to toe. As Samile started walking away, she reached a hand out to him. "Samil, I don't feel. . . ." Her arm fell down to her side as she passed out.

()()()()()()()

It seemed to be hotter than normal today. Luckily the wind seemed to stick to the rooftop which was why it was Ezios favorite way to travel. Jumping and climbing while the wind hit his face was his perfect combination of activities. Today he was simply walking. The guards had deemed the buildings to hot to stand on all day so they were guarding the main roads instead.

_Stupid._

He liked watching the main road because his other favorite activity was watching the people yell at each other. It always starts with one bumping into the other, then a shouting match, then a fighting match, then if they had friends they were pulled apart and went on their separate ways. It always made him laugh. Plus the women liked to walk on the main road together. He knew most of their names because he found it was _helpful_ to know a lady who knew her way around town. But today wasn't like any other day because he saw something out of the ordinary yet again.

A man seemed to be walking a woman down the road. She was looking at the buildings and the shops while he just looked straight forward and kept her moving. At one point he saw her trip.

_New dress._ He laughed to himself.

The pair made their way over to a bench. He thought it strange that the woman seemed to be ill while the man looked like he was yelling at her. As he walked away Ezio saw her reach out to then man then collapse. No one seemed to notice.

_Oh my god._

He dove off the roof into a haystack and started running towards the woman. When he reached her he realized she was covered in sweat and was unconscious. Thinking nothing of it, he managed to pick her up and thinking fast,, knew where to take her.

Paola laughed when Ezio walked in. "I thought you liked them when they could think Ezio." She laughed again. "She fainted in the middle of the main road and her husband walked away without a care in the world. Bastard." He added.

"He's not her husband Ezio."

"How would you know?"

"Look at her finger."

Sure enough, her finger had no hint of a ring ever being there. He looked up at her face and gasped.

"Something wrong?" "No, it's just . . . . I think I might of seen her somewhere before now." Paola smirked. "You do forget them easily don't you? Except for my girls of course."

"Of course. Their accommodations are better than anywhere else." He smirked. "But right now I need a place to put this one." She raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it's until she wakes up. I want to make sure she's ok." "First room on the left when you go upstairs." "Thank you Paola."

As Ezio put Alma on the bed he thought to himself.

_Who is this girl?_

Paola had changed her into a less form fitting dress and told Ezio to watch over her. He already knew he was going to in case some customers came in and mistook her for one of Paolas girl's. Sitting in a chair near her bed, Ezio let himself fall asleep.

_When she wakes up I _will _find out who she is._

**Yes I know this is one of those he rescues her she's all happy blah blah things but I will not let it go in that direction. I'm having fun with this and I already know what I'm going to do for my next chapter because I only plan major plot things that happen and not the little ones that connect them. Curse you writers block!**


	6. Waking Up

Ezio couldn't get to sleep at all that night. Any time he started to dose off one of Paola's 'clients' would knock on the door. He looked at the girl sprawled out on the bed. Since he had brought her here he hadn't gotten a good look at her.

_Wow. She's beautiful._

Her skin was perfectly smooth except for the fact that her cheeks were slightly flushed. Straight brown hair coved her head and spilled onto the pillow. She was slightly frowning as she slept. His thoughts wandered back to the man she was with. If he was looking for her surely he would hear about it. Paola's girls heard everything. If he wasn't then he was a stupid man. Looking back to the girl he noticed a piece of hair covering her face. Without thinking he tucked it behind her ear. He was just noticing the faint bruises on her arms when her eyes shot open. They stared at each other, then . . . .

"Aaaaaaah!"

A huge scream escaped her throat as she backed into the headboard. In the back of his mind he was thankful for being in the building they were in, otherwise someone might think something was wrong. He leapt at her and put a hand over her mouth.

"I know you think I'm going to hurt you." He said as gently as he could. "But I saw you faint in the heat and I didn't want to leave you in the middle of the street." Her eyes turned from being wide with horror to slits of fury in less than a second. "If I take my hand away, will you promise not to scream?" He was still talking quietly so as not to scare her more. She said nothing. "I'll get off the bed and sit in that chair over there." She nodded. Quickly but quietly, he got off the bed and walked to the other side of the room.

"How dare he leave me in the middle of the street." She hissed. The moonlight was shining through the window. "I bet he isn't even looking for me at this hour."

"Who?" Ezio had to know who this man was; he was noticing the bruises on her arms were more pronounced than before. "Samil." Her voice was dripping with hatred. It was obvious she didn't like the man.

"Why did he leave you in the middle of the street?"

"Well that's a funny story. Would you like the short version or long version?"

He looked outside. The moon was high in the sky, it must be at least midnight. "We have some time." There was no reason for him to take her back seeing as she would probably refuse anyway.

"Well I used to live in the Wetlands which are very far from here. I worked at a hotel where sailors would come in after long voyages. One night Samil came in and wanted me to sit with him while he ate. I should have known then. He was so strange." She looked at the floor as she spoke.

"It's not your fault." Ezio said. "Please continue."

"We became really good friends. He had told me he always liked me but I never let him get close. He even had dinner with my family! My father liked him. But now that I think about it he brought pudding with him. Knowing Samil, he probably put something in it. Then the day came when he had to leave. He tried to get me to come with him but I said no. It was strange because he started getting really mad. I was scared. It got really out of hand and the sailors and townsfolk got in a huge fight. I managed to get home, but that night two giant men came and took me away. They tied me up and put a blindfold on me. The only thing I could hear was oars in the water. Next thing I knew, I was at Samils house."

"Didn't you try to escape?"

She walked towards him and showed him her arm then pointed to her face which were both covered in bruises.

"Does this look like I tried to escape?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean . . ."

"It's fine. All I know is that they brought me here and now Samil is forcing me to marry him."

Ezios jaw dropped. She wasn't only a prisoner, but she was being forced against her will to do something she certainly shouldn't be doing. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"There's nothing I can do. My family will never find me, I don't know my way around the city so I can't leave even if I try. But I have a year to escape or find someone else." A loud knock was heard on the door.

"Is someone using this room?" Ezio rolled his eyes. "Yea, best room in the house." The footsteps got quiet as the man walked away sighing. Turning around he realized something. "You never told me your name."

"Alma. Yours?"

"Ezio."

"Alright Ezio. You never took your hood off. I need to see what you look like."Ezio laughed as he pulled his hood back. It took all of her strength to not gasp.

()()()()()()()()()

He was so _handsome_ but it didn't seem to hide bad intentions. Still, she'll keep her guard up.

"Well Alma, I'll promise right now that I will help you get back to your family." He held out a gloved hand. She raised an eyebrow. "I keep my promises." He said confidently. Holding out her hand, he held it in his own. "There. Now you have no choice." She said with a smirk. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Well I'm sorry to say this but we're going to have to bring you back to your house."

"I see. But what will you do?"

"I'm going to do some investigating. I'll be able to find the perfect day and time to leave it won't be too hard. Everyone around here knows me."

She tilted her head. "Why?"

His eyes seemed to darken. "Let's just say I've gotten attention from certain people."

"Whatever you say." She said as her small town obliviousness caused her to not catch on. "One more thing before we go."

"Yes?"

"What did you mean 'the best room in the house'?"

He laughed as he opened the door." I'll tell you later but right now I need you to do some acting so we don't look suspicious."

Her adventurous side got the better of her. "Whatever needs to be done."

"I need you to let me put my arm around you."

"Simple enough."

"That's not all there is. I need you to put your arm around my neck and play with my hair. Giggle and do the girly stuff girls do."

"Fine." She said confidently though she felt her face go slightly red.

They stepped out of the room together and started walking down the stairs, Ezio put his arm around her waist and Alma pretended he was the only man in the world. She couldn't help but notice other girls standing at the bottom of the stairs. Their clothes were so revealing! They seemed to be giving her jealous looks. One of them stepped forward.

"Hi Ezio." She had a high pitch voice. Or maybe that was what it was really like. Ezio stopped walking and turned to her. Alma noticed how short the front of her dress was. "You look like you need some dessert Ezio." The girl waved a fan in front of her face while batting her eyelashes. Alma kept her arms around Ezio; it made her feel safer. "I have my dessert right here." He pulled Alma closer. "I've only decided that I would like to enjoy it elsewhere." The girl looked down at Alma. "Are you sure? I could put the cherry on top." Alma was listening when it clicked. She knew where she was now. "If she truly is your dessert then you won't mind tasting it right now. Just a kiss."

Alma looked up at Ezio. He smirked. "Very well." He turned so that no one could see either of their faces. All he was doing was kissing her cheek except it was dangerously close to her lips. He turned back to the girl who had a look of rage on her face. "Satisfied?" Alma must have had the right look on her face because the girl turned around and walked away. Ezio led Alma outside and let go. She turned to face him. "You brought me to a brothel?"

"My friend Paola owns it. I told her the situation and she gave me a room."

"If she knew that then was there any reason to act in front of those girls?"

He turned to her. His hood was up so she couldn't see his face but for some reason she felt he was trying not to laugh because it took him a minute to answer. "No." He finally said. "I wanted to make those girls jealous." It was a good thing it was dark or Ezio would have died from the look on her face. He must have been used to looks like this because he quickly continued. "But the main reason was to see if you were good at acting and trusting me. The other girls were just an added bonus. And I must say you did a fabulous job."

Alma folded her arms and walked past him. He grabbed her wrist. "Wrong way."

"How do you know?" She snapped.

"I saw those guards bring you to Samils house the day you got here. It was just by chance." He pulled her the other direction. "Stay close."

"So how am I supposed to get into his house? Front door? Sneak in?" She started thinking of all the different ways to get into a house when Ezio spoke.

"There is a balcony in your room. I'll help you onto it. You can pretend you came home by yourself."

She was just about to ask him how he knew that when she heard loud shouts. Before she could register what was happening Ezio had pinned her against a wall of a building. "Don't move or make a sound." He whispered. Nodding quickly she realized she was holding her breath. She heard men shouting and what sounded like a teenage boy yelling. There were sounds of running the punching. She froze when she heard the teenager scream. The sound of metal and the scream stopped. The guards laughed and mumbled something. Their footsteps echoed until they were gone. After a few moments he let her go.

"What was that about?" Alma was rubbing her back. But then . . . .

Ezio had grabbed her and put her on his back. Automatically she put her arms around his neck. Her eyes were shut tight but she managed to open them. They were on the rooftops and Ezio was somehow managing to jump from one building to the other without losing his balance at all. Once she got over the shock of being up so high, she started having fun and even let out a small laugh.

Ezio started slowing down and they came to the edge of a building overlooking the water. "Alma, you need to let go. I can't breathe."

"Oh! Sorry." She slid off his back. It was a bit scary being on a roof so high up. He put his arm around her waist. "You and I both know if I let you walk by yourself you'll fall." She gave a small laugh.

"Alright." He said business like. "We're going to walk towards this edge because this is where your balcony is." It was nerve-racking. The fact that there was only the moon for light and falling meant going into the water wasn't the greatest reassurance. After taking a lot of baby steps, they finally made it to the edge.

"Look over the edge and you'll see your balcony." Alma did as instructed. Sure enough, there it was. "I'm going to lower you onto it." Ezio said. It was more of a statement then a question. Her insides dropped. But this was the only way. Taking a deep breath, she looked at him. "I'm ready."

He held her in front of him so they were facing each other. "Ready?" He asked. She closed her eyes and nodded. She felt him lift her off her feet. A sensation of floating filled her stomach. It only lasted for a few seconds before there was solid ground beneath her feet. She opened her eyes. In front of her was her balcony with the window wide open, a slight breeze was blowing through making enough sound for her to get inside without waking anyone up. Looking up at Ezio, she gave thumbs up sign. "I'll come back later. Probably tomorrow. I have to take care of a few things." Before she could say anything he had disappeared.

She sighed and went to her bed. The blankets were fluffed just right and the sheets were cool. As she lay down she stared at the ceiling. This year was going to be better than she thought. She had made a friend who wanted to help her get out of here. She yawned and sat up to fix her pillows. She slid into the covers but wasn't able to close her eyes. As she stared up at the ceiling, a person's head started blocking her view.

"Have a fun time, Alma?"

()()()()()()()()()()()

Ezio ran across the rooftops. Whenever he was happy, it was his favorite thing to do. He was happy he was helping Alma. He didn't know why he felt the need to protect her.

_Man instinct?_

He laughed to himself. What was it? He didn't feel this way towards any of the girls at the brothel. Maybe it was because she wasn't from around here and simply couldn't fend for herself.

_She was quick to trust me._

No. From what she told him, Samil wouldn't let her go out by herself. He continued running. He didn't know where he was going, yet it didn't surprise him when he made it to the Thieves Guild. He walked around casually. Just like he thought, Rosa appeared out of nowhere. "Someone seems happy tonight. New girl at the brothel?"

"No. I met someone though."

"Name?" Rosa asked. Ezio and Rosa had a 'special' relationship. She was the only woman he 'conversed' with and still remained friends.

"Alma."

"I don't like her." Rosa said bluntly.

"That's ok." Ezio said, putting his hands in the air in defense. "She's only a friend. But. . . " He smirked. "I don't have any way of working off this energy. She walked towards him with a small smile. "Can I assist you in getting rid of your energy?" He put his hands around her waist. "Let's play a game." Her eyes lit up. "And that would be . . . . ?"

Ezio held up the pouch of coins he had just stolen from her belt. "Tag." He ran away. Rosa swore. "Ezio! You asshole! Get back here." He only laughed and kept running. He hadn't had this much fun in a long long time.

**Little joke at the end. finally got the ball rolling. Poor Alma got caught sneaking in! but by who? Thought it was funny how she screamed in a brothel and no one thought anything was wrong**


End file.
